JeffThigpen.com

Bill Schmickle has achieved the impossible. He’s kept my eyes from glazing over at the thought of reading a book about historic preservation–The Politics of Historic Districts. Of course, I never doubted that from the first turn of the cover. It wasn’t the topic that made me believe, but the man behind the pages.

I admit, I’m biased toward Bill. Yes, he was my political science professor at Guilford. His wife Charlotte cured my sniffles on several occasions and his sons Andy and Greg are way cool, worldly, and successful cats in their own right. But this book is important for its field in my opinion and I’m convinced it will be embraced widely as a seminal piece . HPC members across the country are already dog-earring its pages and its a great read.

Bill lays down the gauntlet from square one. Historic districts are not about pure preservation, they are about politics “from the get-go”. He “spikes the punch” of preservation nerds with strategy laced with Machiavellian performance enhancing drugs. After a few gulps, he then pats them on the back, and pushes them out the door with good humor and a systematic playbook for guerrilla warfare with City Hall. I’m impressed. As a former county commissioner, I realize Bill has let the proverbial ‘cat out of the bag’ and city councils had better take notice.

Some key phrases and thoughts. The worst thing in politics is to be right and to lose. The political landscape is littered with the bones of just causes. Tell me about it. Bill understands there are two processes at work in designation: the formal procedure and the informal and political. He helps advocates understand the right questions in the formal process through a step by step approach to research, committee organization, and finding professional help. Bill knows the politics is more like a chess game than a jigsaw puzzle. Like chess, the strategy for success must embrace fluidity, uncertainty and general predictability.

And let me warn you, put the book back on the shelf if you aren’t in it to win it.

“It’s often true the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Yet when you’re both watching your adversary you’re not always seeing eye to eye.Thank God for Bill’s wit. Only Bill can quote John Heisman or Sherlock Holmes and get away with it in a preservation book… ” Gentleman, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football”, or “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”.

Historic District wonks kneel before your Messiah…

A Problem-Solving Mindset article was featured in the Spring issue of Guilford College magazine. The article featured NC House Rep. Maggie Jeffus; US Rep. Howard Coble; Commissioner Paul Gibson, former Mayor Billy Ragsdale; and Mr. Deeds. 

The Board of Commissioners voted a couple of weeks ago to finalize the purchase of the BB and T building.  There will be the need for renovations to the building.  The expected move date is at least a year away. 

Here is a News and Record article.

 The event went well with over 160 in attendance.  There were two documents recorded- a substitution of trustee and a satisfaction.  I would like to express my appreciation to Secretary of State Elaine Marshall; Business Information Systems, Simplifile, and Electronic Document Logistics (EDL) for making the event a great success!

Greg Niles passed away on Saturday.  When I received the call I was just stunned.  I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening wrestling with mortality, in intimate prayer, cleaning out gutters, and keeping in my thoughts on his three children–one named Aiden (like my own son).

Greg was a real professional.  He enjoyed his job and was about transforming the Planning Department in to a customer service driven operation while respecting planning best practices.  I remember last month he showed me a new pictography software program they had developed with GIS.  We installed it internally in our office within a week.   He was really giddy about showing it to me and how it would benefit the end user.   I felt a real kinship with him as a young, energetic Department Director working to transform county government.

 I will really miss him.  He helped me raise my game so to speak and I keep him, his wife, and his children in my prayers.

The Elections Department reported a total of 129,895 voters for the primary: 30,445 were in-person early voters; 1,632 were by-mail voters; and, 97,833 Election Day voters. This represents a 40% turnout overall and 27,000 more voters than the county recorded in the November 2006 general election.

Of note, the majority of Elections Department staff worked from 5:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. George Gilbert advised there may be a run off election on June 24^th for the Democratic Commissioner of Labor.

Chairman Perkins issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency for Guilford County this morning due to a reported tornado that caused widespread damage, injuries and loss of life on Thursday, May 8^th. The Proclamation was made to maintain public order, services, protection of lives, safety and property during this emergency and will remain in effect within Guilford county until the emergency is over. This proclamation is a first step in order to submit a request to the State of North Carolina for potential financial assistance.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. on May 8, 2008, Guilford Metro 9-1-1 received reports of a tornado in the area of Interstate 40 and Sandy Ridge Road with numerous vehicles including tractor-trailers overturned on Interstate 40. Subsequent to the initial calls, additional reports of damage included several locations with building collapse, fire alarms and trees/power lines down. Multiple public safety agencies within Guilford County responded to these incidents within the Colfax, City of Greensboro and Piedmont Triad International Airport area. At this time, there have been three injuries and one fatality was recorded from the storm event. Alan Perdue activated the Guilford County Emergency Operations Center and public safety personnel began assessing damage.

Greensboro Assistant Fire Chief David Douglas stated at the press conference this morning that a commercial and industrial area in Guilford County around U.S. 421, Interstate 40, N.C. 68 and Sandy Ridge Road has been quarantined, meaning no traffic or employees will be allowed in that area. West Market Street is also closed in that area. Search and rescue teams, inspections and engineering crews are doing damage assessment and evaluating each building to ensure no one was left behind, Douglas said. The Greensboro Police Department has set up a command post at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge Road. Business and property owners may call that mobile office to report structural problems at 708-5037 for help in accessing their business. Non-emergency calls should be directed to the City of Greensboro’s Contact Center at 373-2489.

Meteorologist Jeff Orrock, National Weather Service, verified that a “F2, small F3 tornado with wind speeds of 100-130 mph, left a path of destruction in this area.”

Planning Director Greg Niles verified damages with the superintendents for both FedEX and HondaJet: FedEx: minor damage to roof mounted vents and HVAC units; HondaJet: access ladder damage. Other than shifting materials and debris, the sites are in good shape. Also, Guilford County Schools reported no damage to Colfax or other schools.

Duke Energy notified us that Guilford County sustained damage with 1,100 outages reported, principally in the area west of the airport, as the storm moved through from the southwest to the northeast.